Ministry of Justice

The Ministry of Justice and its partners are delivering a package of reforms aimed at improving how the family justice system supports children and families – including victims of domestic abuse.

As part of this work we have already taken forward many of the actions it committed to following the Harm Panel report. This includes expanding the Pathfinder model which aims to improve the experience of children and families involved in private law proceedings. Through delivery of Pathfinder in ten court areas, we are learning a significant amount about how the family courts can operate in line with the principles for reform set out in the Harm Panel report. We are carefully monitoring these lessons ahead of further expansion. Alongside this, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s recent report on the Family Court Review and Reporting Mechanism pilot has made further recommendations, which the Government is now considering.

In addition, following the recommendations of the Harm Panel report, we have completed a review of the presumption of parental involvement. The evidence from the review suggests that the presumption may feed into a pro-contact culture in the family courts, finding a high incidence of court-ordered contact between children and parents who have caused or posed a risk of harm. As part of our wider package of family court reforms, the Government announced on 22 October 2025 that we will repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989 when Parliamentary time allows.

The Government will also be publishing our new, cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy as soon as possible, which will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s ambition to tackle violence against women and girls.

The Government therefore does not consider it necessary to establish an alternative inquiry at this time.

With reference to R (Awale) v Secretary of State for Justice [2024] EWHC 2322 (Admin):

(a), (b), (c) The damages claim is ongoing and therefore we cannot comment on compensation, ex-gratia or out-of-court payments.

(d) Legal costs for the Judicial Review were settled at £234,250, inclusive of interest and assessment costs.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) successfully defends around two-thirds of all litigation cases brought by prisoners. Where damages are awarded to prisoners, we seek to ensure that payments are offset against any outstanding debts owed to victims and the courts.

With reference to R (Denny De Silva) v Secretary of State for Justice [2025] EWHC 128 (Admin):

(a), (b), (c) The damages claim is ongoing and therefore we cannot comment on compensation, ex-gratia or out-of-court payments.

(d) Legal costs for the Judicial Review were settled at £255,000, inclusive of interest and assessment costs.

HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) successfully defends around two-thirds of all litigation cases brought by prisoners. Where damages are awarded to prisoners, we seek to ensure that payments are offset against any outstanding debts owed to victims and the courts.

Release inaccuracy is yet another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those errors that do occur, and this includes unlawful detentions.

On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps which includes strengthening release checks across prisons and an independent inquiry will report its recommendations to prevent further inaccuracies.

The Government is determined to fix release inaccuracies and ensure the public is properly protected.

The data requested comes from internal management information and is therefore not fully Quality Assured and does not meet the standard required for publication.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.

Whilst this change provided the intended medium-term relief, it was only ever a temporary change to bridge to a more sustainable solution. The Sentencing Bill has now been introduced to ensure we never run out of prison space again.

Our initial operational insights suggested there was not a significant change to the use and application of recall since the implementation of SDS40. We will, however, continue to monitor this.

Proven reoffending rates are published regularly on an annual and quarterly basis. The most recent rates are available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

Data on failures to return from release on temporary licence are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK. These figures cover all forms of release on temporary licence. Data for April 2025 onwards will form part of a future publication.

We have Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs) in place with over 110 countries, both bilaterally, and multilaterally through the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

We do not have any suspensions in place, each individual transfer is considered on a case-by-case basis and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service will not transfer someone if they have reason to suspect their human rights will be contravened, or that they are at risk of corrupt release.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Performance statistics on housing and accommodation outcomes for people supervised by the Probation Service are published annually and can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-accommodation-outcome-statistics

Proven reoffending statistics are published quarterly and include data broken down by the accommodation status on release under tab C3 in the ‘Proven reoffending tables’ document. The series can be accessed by the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Performance statistics on housing and accommodation outcomes for people supervised by the Probation Service are published annually and can be accessed via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-accommodation-outcome-statistics

Proven reoffending statistics are published quarterly and include data broken down by the accommodation status on release under tab C3 in the ‘Proven reoffending tables’ document. The series can be accessed by the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics

The process of terminating an IPP licence does not require an application to be made. Rather, the Secretary of State for Justice has a statutory obligation to refer an offender serving an IPP sentence to the Parole Board once three years have elapsed since first release (the qualifying period), in order for the Board to consider whether to terminate the licence. If the licence is not terminated by the Parole Board at the end of the qualifying period, it will be terminated automatically after a further two years, provided the offender is not recalled to custody.

The changes introduced by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 have reduced the number of people serving IPP sentences in the community by around two thirds, including over 1,700 IPP licences being automatically terminated on 1 November 2024.

The Parole Board published its annual report for 2024/2025 on 10 July this year. The report provides the number of IPP licence terminations and refusals for those cases considered by the Parole Board for the 12-month period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. The report covers IPP termination numbers on page 16 and is available here: Parole Board for England and Wales Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25.

The Parole Board will terminate an IPP prisoner’s licence except where it judges that the continued supervision of the offender on licence is necessary for the purposes of public protection.

This Government is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights. Commitment does not mean complacency, however, and we must keep under review whether the application of the Convention is acting as a barrier to us protecting national security.

We continue to refer and place the most dangerous radicalisers in Separation Centres. We will not hesitate to use our powers under the law to use Separation Centres to protect the mainstream prison population.

The Government is carefully considering the findings of Jonathan Hall KC’s independent review into the operation of Separation Centres, which was commissioned following the attack at HMP Frankland earlier this year. We will publish Mr Hall’s report and our response in due course.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.

Totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025.

A further transparency ad hoc publication, available via Releases_in_Error_from_1_April_2025_to_31_October_2025.pdf, also cover the number of releases in error from 1 April 2025 to 31 October 2025.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We have put in place a five-point plan to do that.

We regularly publish information on releases in error, but this does not include numbers of foreign nationals or asylum seekers.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government

While the overwhelming majority of offenders are released correctly, we are clamping down on those releases in error that do occur; on 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue. A joint protocol between HMPPS and NPCC is in place, to ensure effective and timely communication between partner agencies when an individual is released in error to rearrest them as quickly as possible.

Totals for releases in error are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK, and provide data up to March 2025.

A further transparency ad hoc publication, available via Releases_in_Error_from_1_April_2025_to_31_October_2025.pdf, also cover the number of releases in error from 1 April 2025 to 31 October 2025.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

We have interpreted question 90429 to relate purely to individuals with a custodial sentence and not all convicted of an offence. In the last 5 years, there have been no failures by Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) suppliers to return or take an individual to a prison following an order to do so from a Magistrates or Crown Court.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

We are focused on fixing release and discharge processes and have already brought in the strongest ever release checks with more direct senior accountability. Going further, we have established a new Justice Performance Board to provide a comprehensive view of prison and criminal court performance including releases in error. Dame Lynne Owens is conducting an independent review to identify what further action we can take.

A team of data scientists are reviewing releases in error to gain a clear picture of what is going wrong and as part of crucial improvements to court processes, an Urgent Warrant Query Unit is being set up, staffed by court experts, so prisons can get urgent answers on what sentences have been imposed. A digital rapid response unit has already been in HMP Wandsworth to use cutting-edge technology in place of manual systems and reduce the potential for human error. These are our initial steps and we will continue to take action to stop these errors and continue the existing close co-operation that exists between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the police.

On the issue of public notification when a foreign national offender is released from custody, decisions about public statements rest with the police.

Since 31 December 2024, six Albanian national offenders have been transferred to Albania under the bi-lateral Prison Transfer Agreement. Prisoner transfer is just one scheme where foreign national offenders can be removed early from prison, and it is more suited to those serving longer sentences. The Government pursues removal through all available mechanisms. The latest Home Office data indicate that 1,625 Albanian foreign national offenders were removed from England and Wales in 2024.

As set out in the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, published in December 2024, we are delivering 14,000 additional prison places and are on track to do so by 2031, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

The remaining places will be delivered across the following regions, rounded to the nearest 50 places:

This breakdown represents current projections and may vary in response to changes in programme scope or delivery constraints. Due to rounding, and contingency within the programmes, totals exceed the 14,000 place commitment.

Between 5 July 2024 and 7 November 2025, HM Treasury has approved the Full Business Cases for the delivery of c.1,200 new prison places.

These places are part of the 14,000 additional places this Government committed to delivering in the December 2024 10-Year Prison Capacity Strategy. We are currently on track to deliver these by 2031, with the expectation they will be operational by 2032. Under this Government, c.2,600 places have already been delivered.

We regularly publish information on releases in error but this does not show how many of these releases relate to foreign nationals or the proportion of such offenders who were awaiting deportation at the time of release.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We are also rightly deporting foreign national offenders faster than ever.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

We regularly publish information on releases in error but this does not show how many of these releases relate to foreign nationals or the proportion of such offenders who were awaiting deportation at the time of release.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected. We are also rightly deporting foreign national offenders faster than ever.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025, over 5,000 FNOs were removed. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 4,532 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Foreign national offenders (FNOs), if not detained under immigration powers, are released on licence at the conclusion of the custodial element of their sentence, under the supervision of the Probation Service.

They are subject to licence conditions to protect the public, reduce re-offending, and enable them to be supervised effectively in the community. These conditions can be varied during the licence period, if necessary, to reflect any change in level of risk.

The licence conditions include a requirement for FNOs to inform the Probation Service of their address and obtain prior approval for any change. The Probation Service liaises with the police during the address approval process, to ensure the address is suitable, and to safeguard the public. Any unauthorised change of address would constitute a breach of licence. Enforcement action may include recall to custody.

Where standard conditions are insufficient to manage risk, additional licence conditions may be imposed, such as restrictions on movement, contact, or residence, and the use of GPS tagging. GPS tagging is applied only where it is assessed as necessary and proportionate to the individual’s level of risk.

The Probation Service’s supervision of FNOs runs in parallel with any action on deportation being undertaken by the Home Office.

The legal profession in England and Wales, together with its regulators, operates independently of government. The responsibility of regulating the sector sits with approved regulators, overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB). This framework is set out in the Legal Services Act 2007.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is responsible for regulating the professional conduct of solicitors and Law firms in England and Wales.

As part of its role, the SRA investigates consumers’ complaints when allegations of solicitor misconduct are made. It has a number of disciplinary powers, including the power to issue fines and refer an individual to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT), which can suspend or strike a solicitor off the roll. If someone wishes to complain about the conduct of a solicitor to the SRA, they can do so via the following link: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.

The SRA aims to complete 93% of investigations within 12 months, 95% within 18 months and 98% within 24 months. A small number of more complex investigations, especially those leading to prosecution before the SDT, may take longer. The SRA have confirmed that they are generally meeting or exceeding these targets.  The SRA has seen a rise in reports of solicitors’ misconduct and is taking steps to manage this increase though increasing resource in its investigation teams. It is also continuing to seek improvements in both the quality and timeliness of its investigation work.

Given the independence of the regulators, it would not be appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to interfere with the process of the SRA’s investigations. However, the Ministry of Justice maintains regular dialogue with the legal regulators in respect of their statutory functions. This ensures that regulatory independence is respected while also supporting the wider objective of protecting consumers and maintaining public confidence in the justice system. Within this context, I will raise whether investigation timeframes could be made more ambitious at my next meeting with the SRA.

The information requested is not held centrally. It may be held in court records, but to determine that and obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.

Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

The Ministry of Justice is working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.

The Department continues to invest in improving tribunal capacity and productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. We expect these actions to have a positive effect, improving timeliness and overall performance in the Social Entitlement Chamber.

The Ministry of Justice has not conducted assessments of the impact of tribunal waiting times on claimants but we recognise the potential negative impacts and uncertainty for individuals waiting for their appeal to be resolved.

Data on Tribunals performance is published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. Receipts, disposals and the outstanding caseload for individual Chambers in the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal, the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics.

The Ministry of Justice is working to reduce the outstanding caseload across the Social Entitlement Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, which includes the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction. This is key to reducing the waiting time for tribunal hearings.

The Department continues to invest in improving tribunal capacity and productivity through the recruitment of additional Judges, the deployment of Legal Officers to actively manage cases, the development of modern case management systems, and the use of remote hearing technology. We expect these actions to have a positive effect, improving timeliness and overall performance in the Social Entitlement Chamber.

The Ministry of Justice has not conducted assessments of the impact of tribunal waiting times on claimants but we recognise the potential negative impacts and uncertainty for individuals waiting for their appeal to be resolved.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 7 November to Question 86918.

The Ministry of Justice does not currently collect or publish data broken down by the specific grounds used in possession claims, such as anti-social behaviour.

The Civil Procedure Rules stipulate that possession claims should be listed within 4 to 8 weeks. The most recent published statistics, covering the period April to June 2025 show that the median time from claim to order is 7.9 weeks, consistent with the same period in 2024. The timeliness of subsequent enforcement of an order, where this is required, can be influenced by the actions of users as well as the court. Less than 25% of possession claims require progression to enforcement.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 which has recently received Royal Assent, will shorten the notice period for the existing mandatory anti-social behaviour eviction ground. As soon as landlords have served their notice for eviction to the tenant for anti-social behaviour using this ground, they can begin possession proceedings through the court immediately.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on possession claims at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2025 - GOV.UK.

The Government is committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the court system.  This is being delivered through a combination of increased funding and improving efficiency. In the North East, specifically, the Government is taking the following steps:

CRIMINAL COURTS

For this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 111,250 sitting days this year, 5,000 higher than the previous Government funded in the last financial year.

As a result of increased government funding, the North East circuit will sit an extra 1,500 days in FY25/26, taking the total to around 15,000 days.

In the magistrates’ courts, we continue to recruit trainee legal advisers and magistrates to deal with the increasing levels of cases coming into the courts.

FAMILY COURTS

The North East has strengthened arrangements between the judiciary and HMCTS operational teams. This collaborative approach ensures early triage of applications, timely allocation of judicial resources, and improved scheduling of hearings. By jointly reviewing case readiness and safeguarding information at the outset, courts are better able to identify appropriate pathways, reduce unnecessary delays, and maintain progress toward the 16-week measure.

Between January 2023 and March 2025, the Ministry of Justice undertook a comprehensive review of civil legal aid. This included family legal aid. The evidence from the review indicated that the housing and debt, and immigration and asylum sectors face particularly acute challenges with service provision and high demand.

Following a consultation, we recently announced uplifts to housing and debt, and immigration and asylum legal aid fees, which will inject £20 million into the sector each year once fully implemented.

The Government keeps legal aid policy, including family legal aid and remuneration for expert witnesses, under review.

We already have an appeals system in place which can quash convictions of victims of child sexual exploitation, so no legislation is needed to expunge criminal records.

My officials are working with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to ensure it is properly resourced to review the applications from victims who believe they were unjustly convicted when their position as a victim was not properly understood. Where appropriate, the CCRC will then refer individual convictions to the relevant appeal court.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system under immense pressure, and a black hole in the nation’s finances.  We have made difficult decisions to ensure we can deliver the justice victims deserve.

This Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that 43% of employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all.

I have protected dedicated VAWG victims spending in the department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes. This includes our ringfenced domestic abuse and sexual violence funding to all 42 Police and Crime Commissioners and our Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which reaches over 60 specialist rape victim support organisations. Grant recipients are best placed to understand their local communities and shape support to meet the need of victims in their area.

To stay abreast of demand volumes and service user needs, we regularly monitor these grants, using management information to inform policy development and commissioning.

Now that the department has its Spending Review settlement, we are in the process of allocating this budget to individual priorities, including victims funding. This will require difficult and carefully considered decisions to balance priorities within the Ministry of Justice.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system under immense pressure, and a black hole in the nation’s finances.  We have made difficult decisions to ensure we can deliver the justice victims deserve.

This Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that 43% of employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all.

I have protected dedicated VAWG victims spending in the department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes. This includes our ringfenced domestic abuse and sexual violence funding to all 42 Police and Crime Commissioners and our Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which reaches over 60 specialist rape victim support organisations. Grant recipients are best placed to understand their local communities and shape support to meet the need of victims in their area.

To stay abreast of demand volumes and service user needs, we regularly monitor these grants, using management information to inform policy development and commissioning.

Now that the department has its Spending Review settlement, we are in the process of allocating this budget to individual priorities, including victims funding. This will require difficult and carefully considered decisions to balance priorities within the Ministry of Justice.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system under immense pressure, and a black hole in the nation’s finances.  We have made difficult decisions to ensure we can deliver the justice victims deserve.

This Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that 43% of employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all.

I have protected dedicated VAWG victims spending in the department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes. This includes our ringfenced domestic abuse and sexual violence funding to all 42 Police and Crime Commissioners and our Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which reaches over 60 specialist rape victim support organisations. Grant recipients are best placed to understand their local communities and shape support to meet the need of victims in their area.

To stay abreast of demand volumes and service user needs, we regularly monitor these grants, using management information to inform policy development and commissioning.

Now that the department has its Spending Review settlement, we are in the process of allocating this budget to individual priorities, including victims funding. This will require difficult and carefully considered decisions to balance priorities within the Ministry of Justice.

This Government inherited a criminal justice system under immense pressure, and a black hole in the nation’s finances.  We have made difficult decisions to ensure we can deliver the justice victims deserve.

This Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities by increasing the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that 43% of employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions at all.

I have protected dedicated VAWG victims spending in the department this year to ensure help is available to survivors of these awful crimes. This includes our ringfenced domestic abuse and sexual violence funding to all 42 Police and Crime Commissioners and our Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which reaches over 60 specialist rape victim support organisations. Grant recipients are best placed to understand their local communities and shape support to meet the need of victims in their area.

To stay abreast of demand volumes and service user needs, we regularly monitor these grants, using management information to inform policy development and commissioning.

Now that the department has its Spending Review settlement, we are in the process of allocating this budget to individual priorities, including victims funding. This will require difficult and carefully considered decisions to balance priorities within the Ministry of Justice.

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of a specified violent, sexual or terrorism offence and are sentenced to twelve months’ or more imprisonment. Victims who decide to receive the service are allocated a Victim Liaison Officer who will keep the victim updated on key stages throughout the sentence, including if the offender is released from prison in error and when the offender is returned to custody. In emergency situations, the Police may contact the victim directly.

Through the Victim and Courts Bill, we will be updating the legislative framework that establishes the Victim Contact Scheme to bring victims currently served by different post-conviction communication schemes into the Victim Contact Scheme and provide a new route for other victims to request information via a dedicated helpline.

Ministers at the Ministry of Justice engage regularly with stakeholders across the criminal justice system and victim support sector organisations across the country and in all regions. I recently held a roundtable at the Angel Centre (a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Newcastle) to meet with and learn from local services supporting victims of sexual violence.

This Government is committed to ensuring that victims are supported throughout their engagement with the criminal justice system, regardless of where they live. Across the country, every Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) area now has at least two dedicated Victim Liaison Officers in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are offered to all adult victims of these crimes, and the CPS have also delivered trauma-informed training to staff as part of their Victims’ Programme. The Ministry of Justice-funded Witness Service also provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to victims who are witnesses.

This year we have protected dedicated Ministry of Justice Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending, maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support services in every Police and Crime Commissioner area. This also includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which provides funding to over 60 specialist support organisations, including in the North East.

The Victims’ Code is statutory guidance that sets out the minimum level of service that victims of crime should receive from the criminal justice system. Witnesses who are not victims under the Code, are covered by the Witness Charter, which sets out standards of care for witnesses in the criminal justice system.

During the trial itself, the Victims’ Code includes the right for victims to make a Victim Personal Statement, the right to be given information about the trial and on the role of a witness, and the right to be given information about the outcome of the case. Recognising that certain victims are more likely to require specialised assistance, victims who are under the age of 18 at the time of the offence, as well as victims who service providers consider vulnerable or intimidated, are eligible for Enhanced Rights under the Code. This may include being offered a referral to a specialist support service, being contacted sooner after key decisions, and being assisted with accessing relevant special measures. Witnesses under the age of 18 and other vulnerable and intimidated witnesses under the Witness Charter may also be eligible for additional support during the police investigation and at trial.

We will be consulting on a new Code in due course to make sure we get the foundations for victims right.